Fraudulent Oil and Gas Data Submitted for Wells Near 15 Front Range Cities

Some of the oil and gas sites where falsified data for toxic substances was filed with state regulators are in 15 Front Range municipalities stretching from Northglenn to Severance, according to the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission.

The commission announced Nov. 26 that employees at two consulting firms used by the state’s largest oil and gas operators had filed bogus soil, groundwater and chemical sampling for 344 sites.

ECMC director Julie Murphy told the commission during a briefing Friday that her staff is continuing to evaluate the sites and the incident has also been referred to prosecutors for investigation.

Murphy said the ongoing evaluation has supported the initial assessment that the falsified reports did not create any new public health concerns.

The bulk of the well sites — 296 — are in unincorporated Weld County, but 48 are in the 15 municipalities. Some of the sites are still open and some have been closed and considered remediated.

Greeley and Milliken have the most sites, eight each, followed by Evans with seven, Platteville with five and Firestone and Windsor each with three. Erie, Dacono, Berthoud, Fort Lupton, Frederick, Johnstown, Kersey, Severance and Northglenn have one or two.

Between 2021 and the summer of 2024 doctored reports were filed on soil, groundwater and organic contaminant sampling, including readings on benzene, total petroleum hydrocarbons and elements such as arsenic and barium.

“ECMC remains confident that the falsified data created no new risks to public health because the scope of the impacted data is limited to site investigation and remediation work plans for sites that have already been disturbed by oil and gas development,” the commission said in a statement Friday.

“The disturbances from oil and gas operations at these sites is unchanged; the falsified data may affect the degree of remediation work needed to remediate those disturbances,” the commission said.

Wheat Ridge-based Eagle Environmental Consulting, Inc., worked for Houston-based Chevron U.S.A. Inc., the largest oil and gas operator in the state, and Denver-based Civitas Resources Inc.

Tasman Geosciences, also headquartered in Wheat Ridge, did work for Houston-based Occidental Petroleum Corp.

Earlier this year both consultants learned employees had falsified reports and notified their clients. The oil and gas companies brought the issue to the ECMC.

Murphy said Friday the commission staff’s priority is the 177 sites that are designated as closed to see if they need further remediation. Among those the top priority is the 34 sites located within or adjacent to a municipality.

“Out of an abundance of caution, ECMC will be coordinating with the landowners and requesting that they consider the projects reopened until the investigation is complete,” the commission said, adding that, if necessary, the operators reopen sites for additional remediation.